Career Timeline of Jeff Bezos: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Jeff Bezos made an impact.

Jeff Bezos is an American businessman renowned as the founder, executive chairman, and former CEO of Amazon, a leading e-commerce and cloud computing giant. With a net worth exceeding $220 billion as of May 2025, Bezos holds the position of the third-wealthiest individual globally, according to Forbes. He previously held the title of the world's richest person from 2017 to 2021, as recognized by both Forbes and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1986: Jobs After College

After Bezos graduated from college in 1986, he was offered jobs at Intel, Bell Labs, and Andersen Consulting, among others. He first worked at Fitel.

1988: Product Manager at Bankers Trust

In 1988, Bezos transitioned into the banking industry when he became a product manager at Bankers Trust.

1990: Works at D. E. Shaw & Co

From 1990, Bezos worked at D. E. Shaw & Co, a newly created hedge fund with a strong emphasis on mathematical modelling.

July 5, 1994: Amazon Founded

On July 5, 1994, Bezos and his then-wife founded Amazon in a rented garage in Bellevue, Washington.

1994: Senior Vice-President at D. E. Shaw

By 1994, Bezos became D. E. Shaw's fourth senior vice-president by age 30.

1994: Moved to Seattle and founded Amazon

In 1994, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Tuttle moved to Seattle, Washington, where Bezos founded Amazon.

1994: Foundation of Amazon

In mid-1994, Bezos founded Amazon during a road trip from New York City to Seattle.

1997: Equity Offering

Bezos used the $54 million raised during the company's 1997 equity offering to finance the aggressive acquisition of smaller competitors.

1997: Became a millionaire

In 1997 Bezos first became a millionaire after raising $54 million through Amazon's IPO.

1997: Hypothetical net worth calculation

The Motley Fool estimated that if Jeff Bezos had not sold any of his Amazon shares from its original public offering in 1997, his net worth would sit at $181 billion in 2018.

1998: Amazon Diversifies into Music and Video

In 1998, Bezos diversified Amazon into the online sale of music and video, expanding into other consumer goods by the end of the year.

1998: Early Investment in Google

In 1998, Jeff Bezos made an early investment of $250,000 in Google, becoming one of its first shareholders.

1998: Annual Letter for Amazon Shareholders

Since 1998, Jeff Bezos has published an annual letter for Amazon shareholders, frequently referring to five principles: focus on customers, not competitors; take risks for market leadership; facilitate staff morale; build a company culture; and empower people.

1999: Acquisition of pets.com

In 1999 Bezos purchased a majority stake in pets.com and a portion of kozmo.com for $60 million, both of which would fail after the dot-com bubble collapse in 2000.

September 2000: Blue Origin Founded

In September 2000, Jeff Bezos founded Blue Origin, a human spaceflight startup, marking his serious entry into the aerospace industry.

2000: Bezos Found Blue Origin

In 2000, Bezos founded the aerospace manufacturer and sub-orbital spaceflight services company Blue Origin.

2002: Amazon Web Services Launch

In 2002, Bezos led Amazon to launch Amazon Web Services, which compiled data from weather channels and website traffic.

2003: Amazon Rebounds with Profit

In 2003, Amazon rebounded from financial instability and turned a profit of $35 million.

2005: Net worth increasing

From 2005 to 2007, Bezos quadrupled his net worth to $8.7 billion.

2006: Purchase of Land in West Texas

In 2006, Blue Origin purchased a large tract of land in West Texas to establish a launch and test facility, marking a significant step in developing its space program.

November 2007: Amazon Kindle Launched

In November 2007, Bezos launched the Amazon Kindle.

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2007: Net worth increasing

From 2005 to 2007, Bezos quadrupled his net worth to $8.7 billion.

2008: Creating a "Flow State" in Reading

According to a 2008 Time profile, Bezos wished to create a device that allowed a "flow state" in reading similar to the experience of video games.

2009: Bezos donates to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Between 2009 and 2017, Jeff Bezos donated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center several times.

2010: Donated towards a movement against a Washington state income tax

In 2010, Jeff Bezos donated $100,000 towards a movement against a Washington state income tax for "top earners".

2011: Discussed Alexa with Greg Hart

In his initial discussion of the project which became Alexa with his technical advisor Greg Hart in 2011, Jeff Bezos told him that the goal was to create "the Star Trek computer."

2012: Supported same-sex marriage legalization

In 2012, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos supported the legalization of same-sex marriage and contributed $2.5 million to Washington United for Marriage.

May 2013: Meeting with Richard Branson

In May 2013, Jeff Bezos met with Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Galactic, to discuss opportunities and strategies in commercial spaceflight.

August 5, 2013: Purchase of The Washington Post Announced

On August 5, 2013, Jeff Bezos announced his purchase of The Washington Post for $250 million in cash, following a suggestion from his friend, Don Graham. Nash Holdings, a limited liability company, was established to own the newspaper.

October 1, 2013: Sale of The Washington Post Closes

On October 1, 2013, the sale of The Washington Post closed, and Nash Holdings, controlled by Jeff Bezos, took ownership of the newspaper.

2013: Recovery of Apollo 11 Engines

In 2013, Bezos Expeditions funded the recovery of two Saturn V first-stage Rocketdyne F-1 engines from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. These engines were positively identified as belonging to the Apollo 11 mission's S-1C stage from July 1969 and are currently on display at the Seattle Museum of Flight.

2013: Purchase of The Washington Post

In 2013, Bezos purchased the major American newspaper The Washington Post for $250 million.

2013: Contract with the CIA

In 2013, Bezos secured a $600-million contract with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on behalf of Amazon Web Services. Amazon was recognized as the largest online shopping retailer in the world in October of that year.

2013: Bezos pledges money to Worldreader

In 2013, Jeff Bezos pledged $500,000 to Worldreader, a non-profit founded by a former Amazon employee.

March 2014: Paywall Lifted for Subscribers of Local Newspapers

In March 2014, Jeff Bezos made his first significant change at The Washington Post by lifting the online paywall for subscribers of a number of U.S. local newspapers in Texas, Hawaii, and Minnesota.

2014: Amazon won CIA contract

In 2014, Amazon won a bid for a cloud computing contract with the CIA valued at $600 million.

2015: New Shepard Reaches Space

In 2015, Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle reached space and successfully landed back on Earth.

2015: New Orbital Launch Vehicle Announcement

In 2015, Jeff Bezos announced Blue Origin was developing a new orbital launch vehicle, with its first flight planned for the late 2010s.

January 2016: Reinvention of The Washington Post

In January 2016, Jeff Bezos aimed to reinvent The Washington Post as a media and technology company by reconstructing its digital media, mobile platforms, and analytics software.

May 2016: Sells Stock

In May 2016, Bezos sold slightly more than one million shares of his holdings in Amazon for $671 million, the largest sum he had ever raised from selling some of his Amazon stock.

August 4, 2016: Sells Another Million Shares

On August 4, 2016, Bezos sold another million of his shares in Amazon for $756.7 million.

2016: Journalists Visit Blue Origin Facility

In 2016, Jeff Bezos allowed select journalists to tour and photograph Blue Origin's facility, increasing public awareness of the company's work. He also called for increased inter-space energy and industrial manufacturing to decrease the negative costs associated with business-related pollution.

2016: Selling Amazon Stock to Fund Blue Origin

Since 2016, Jeff Bezos has been selling $1 billion in Amazon stock each year to capitalize Blue Origin, supporting his efforts to colonize the solar system.

May 2017: Bezos donates to Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

In May 2017, Jeff Bezos gave $1 million to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which provides pro bono legal services for American journalists.

June 15, 2017: Bezos asks for philanthropy ideas on Twitter

On June 15, 2017, Jeff Bezos posted a message on Twitter asking for ideas for philanthropy, reflecting on a strategy opposite to his focus on the long term. At the time, his lifetime spending on charitable causes was estimated to be $100 million.

July 27, 2017: Momentarily World's Wealthiest Person

On July 27, 2017, Bezos momentarily became the world's wealthiest person over Bill Gates when his estimated net worth increased to just over $90 billion.

October 10, 2017: Estimated $6.24 billion in 5 minutes

On October 10, 2017, Jeff Bezos made an estimated $6.24 billion in 5 minutes, which was slightly less than the then annual gross domestic product of Kyrgyzstan.

October 2017: Surpassed Bill Gates

Throughout October 2017, Jeff Bezos sporadically surpassed Bill Gates as the richest person in the world after Amazon's share price fluctuated.

November 24, 2017: Wealth Surpasses $100 Billion

On November 24, 2017, Bezos's wealth surpassed $100 billion for the first time.

December 2017: New Shepard Successfully Flies with Dummy Passengers

In December 2017, Blue Origin's New Shepard successfully flew and landed dummy passengers, pushing the anticipated start date for human space travel into late 2018.

2017: Bezos donates to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Between 2009 and 2017, Jeff Bezos donated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center several times.

2017: Jobs Created

In 2017, Amazon created 130,000 jobs.

2017: Value of Google Stock Investment

In 2017, Jeff Bezos's $250,000 investment in Google in 1998 was valued at approximately $3.1 billion, representing 3.3 million shares of Google stock.

January 2018: Net worth increased by $33.6 billion

From January 2017 to January 2018, Jeff Bezos's net worth increased by $33.6 billion, which outstripped the economic development of more than 96 countries.

January 2018: Bezos donates to TheDream.US

In January 2018, Jeff Bezos made a $33 million donation to TheDream.US, a college scholarship fund for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as minors.

January 2018: Announcement of New Healthcare Company Role

In January 2018, an announcement was made concerning Jeff Bezos's role within a new, unnamed healthcare company, later named Haven, which is expected to be a partnership between Amazon, JPMorgan, and Berkshire Hathaway.

January 19, 2018: Amazon Stock Holdings Appreciate

By January 19, 2018, Bezos's Amazon stock holdings had appreciated to slightly over $109 billion.

January 29, 2018: Featured in Super Bowl Commercial

On January 29, 2018, Bezos was featured in Amazon's Super Bowl commercial.

February 1, 2018: Amazon Reports Highest Profit

On February 1, 2018, Amazon reported its highest ever profit with quarterly earnings of $2 billion.

March 6, 2018: Designated World's Wealthiest Person

On March 6, 2018, Bezos was formally designated the wealthiest person in the world by Forbes, with a net worth of $112 billion.

March 2018: Dispatch to India with $5.5 Billion

In March 2018, Bezos dispatched Amit Agarwal, Amazon's global senior vice president, to India with $5.5 billion to localize operations throughout the company's supply chain routes.

March 2018: Bezos meets with Mohammad bin Salman to discuss Saudi Vision 2030

In March 2018, Jeff Bezos met in Seattle with Mohammad bin Salman, the crown prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, to discuss investment opportunities for Saudi Vision 2030.

May 2018: Blue Origin's Primary Goal Announced

In May 2018, Jeff Bezos stated that the primary goal of Blue Origin is to preserve Earth's natural resources by making the human species multi-planetary, announcing that New Shepard would begin transporting humans into sub-orbital space by November 2018.

June 2018: Bezos donates to Breakthrough Energy Ventures

In June 2018, Jeff Bezos donated to Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a private philanthropic fund founded by Bill Gates aimed at promoting emissions-free energy.

July 2018: Net worth reached $150 billion

In July 2018, Jeff Bezos's net worth of $150 billion was enough to purchase the entire stock markets of Nigeria, Hungary, Egypt, Luxembourg, and Iran, according to Quartz.

July 2018: Commercial Spaceflight Ticket Prices Announced

In July 2018, it was announced that Jeff Bezos had priced commercial spaceflight tickets from $200,000 to $300,000 per person.

July 17, 2018: Designated wealthiest person in modern history

On July 17, 2018, Jeff Bezos was designated the "wealthiest person in modern history" by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Fortune, MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.

September 2018: Bezos commits approximately $2 billion to deal with American homelessness and establish a network of non-profit preschools

In September 2018, Jeff Bezos announced that he would commit approximately $2 billion to a fund to deal with American homelessness and establish a network of non-profit preschools for low income communities. He committed to establishing the "Day 1 Families Fund" to finance "night shelters and day care centers for homeless families" and the "Day 1 Academies Fund" for early childhood education.

September 2018: Bezos donates to With Honor

In September 2018, Jeff Bezos donated $10 million to With Honor, a nonpartisan organization that works to increase the number of veterans in political office.

September 2018: Bezos not signed to Giving Pledge, questions about Day 1 Fund

In September 2018, it was reported that Jeff Bezos was the only one of the top five billionaires in the world who had not signed the Giving Pledge. Questions arose about Bezos's new Day 1 Fund, including the fund's structure and how exactly it would be funded.

October 2, 2018: Company-Wide Wage Increase

On October 2, 2018, Bezos announced a company-wide wage increase, which Sanders applauded. The American workers who were being paid the minimum wage had this increased to $15 per hour.

November 2018: Sub-orbital human transport announced

In November 2018, Bezos announced that New Shepard would begin transporting humans into sub-orbital space.

2018: Limited Investor Meetings

In 2018, it was reported that Jeff Bezos met with Amazon investors for just six hours a year, favoring six-page narratives over presentation slides for high-level employee presentations.

February 2020: Bezos pledges to combat climate change through the Bezos Earth Fund

In February 2020, Jeff Bezos pledged $10 billion to combat climate change through the Bezos Earth Fund.

April 2020: Bezos donates to food banks

In April 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to food banks through Feeding America.

August 2020: Net Worth Exceeds $200 Billion

In August 2020, according to Forbes, Bezos had a net worth exceeding $200 billion.

February 2, 2021: Email to All Employees

On February 2, 2021, Bezos sent an email to all Amazon employees, telling them the transition would give him time and energy to focus on other passions.

February 2021: Announces Resignation

In February 2021, Bezos announced that in the third quarter of 2021 he would step down from his role as CEO of Amazon to become the Executive Chairman of the Amazon Board.

July 5, 2021: Steps Down as CEO of Amazon

On July 5, 2021, Bezos stepped down as the CEO and president of Amazon and took over the role of executive chairman. Andy Jassy succeeded Bezos as the CEO and president of Amazon.

July 2021: Bezos announces the Courage and Civility Award

In July 2021, Jeff Bezos announced the Courage and Civility Award and donated $100 million each to lawyer Van Jones and chef José Andrés.

July 20, 2021: Bezos Launches on NS-16 Mission

On July 20, 2021, Jeff Bezos launched on the NS-16 mission with his half-brother Mark Bezos, Wally Funk, and Oliver Daemen. The suborbital flight lasted over 10 minutes, reaching a peak altitude of 66.5 miles.

September 2021: Co-founded Altos Labs

In September 2021, Bezos co-founded Altos Labs with Mail.ru founder Yuri Milner.

November 2021: Bezos pledges to donate to food systems and nature conservation

In November 2021, Jeff Bezos pledged to donate $2 billion towards restructuring food systems and nature conservation at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

November 22, 2021: Donated to the Obama Foundation

On November 22, 2021, Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to the Obama Foundation to "help expand the scope of programming that reaches emerging leaders", and requested the Obama Presidential Center's plaza to be named after John Lewis.

2021: Bezos steps down as CEO of Amazon

In 2021, Jeff Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon, focusing on Blue Origin, and being engaged to Lauren Sánchez.

January 19, 2022: Altos Labs Launch

On January 19, 2022, Altos Labs officially launched with a start capital of $3 billion and an executive team led by Hal Barron.

November 22, 2022: Bezos awards millions to organizations relocating homeless families

On November 22, 2022, Jeff Bezos awarded $123 million to organizations that are engaged in relocating homeless families to permanent housing. Day 1 Families Fund grants will be sent to 40 organizations across the country.

2023: Second-wealthiest person in America and third-wealthiest person in the world

According to Forbes, in 2023 Jeff Bezos was the second-wealthiest person in America and the third-wealthiest person in the world.

February 2024: Net worth at $197 billion

As of February 2024, Jeff Bezos's net worth is about $197 billion, making him the second-wealthiest person in the world according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

February 2024: Sells 24 Million Shares in Amazon

In February 2024, Bezos sold 24 million shares in Amazon at a total value of $4 billion. Bezos announced that he intended to sell 50 million shares in Amazon over the next year.

March 2024: Bezos donates to Eva Longoria and Bill McRaven

In March 2024, Jeff Bezos donated $50 million each to actress Eva Longoria and retired admiral Bill McRaven.

July 2024: Bezos has a private phone conversation with Donald Trump

In July 2024, Jeff Bezos held a private phone conversation with then-candidate Donald Trump, which started a "Bezos–Trump alliance" months before Bezos blocked the Washington Post's editorial board from endorsing Kamala Harris in the election.

December 2024: Focusing on AI at Amazon

During an interview at the DealBook Summit in December 2024, Bezos said that he was dedicating 95% of his time to artificial intelligence initiatives at Amazon.

2024: Bezos works to have a positive relationship with Trump

According to the Financial Times, in 2024, Jeff Bezos worked to have a positive relationship with Donald Trump during Trump's second term to further his business interests, and supports many of Trump's policies.

February 2025: Bezos dines with Trump and announces changes to Washington Post's opinion policies

In February 2025, Jeff Bezos reportedly met for dinner with Donald Trump, and on the same night announced changes to the Washington Post's opinion policies to promote "free markets and personal liberties."